


Please Stand By

by Pinnate



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Dudes bond over painting shirts. Basically., Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-14 06:35:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13001949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinnate/pseuds/Pinnate
Summary: Shirt painting can be complicated or simple. But yeah it's like both. Depends on the person.





	Please Stand By

\---

At Ryuji's arrival, he dropped the bag with the supplies on the floor far too loudly.

Well, at least according to Yusuke's reaction. 

The dude bolted straight towards the bag once it landed and proceeded to inspect the items to make sure nothing was damaged. Even though Ryuji was tracking water into his place, it was a anthill in comparison to the mountain of the art supplies' condition, apparently. Then he insisted on carrying them (safely) to a low table in the center of the room.

So it was already laid out with newspaper, plates, and paper with what seemed to be rough designs. Roll of masking tape, a compass, ruler... He had even laid out metal stencils of letters. 

Freaking cool.

Picking one up, Ryuji commented, "Woah dude, I didn't know your kinda art used lettering." 

Yusuke didn't look up from quadruple checking the supplies but responded, "It usually does not. I bought them just recently in preparation for our activity."

"Jeez you, um, didn't need to," he coughed and added, "they don't look cheap." Silence indicated that most likely pretty much wasn't wrong. Shit. He took care to set it down without a noise.

Apparently, the peal of thunder that occurred right after didn't get the memo or something. Yusuke's glare gave the impression that he wanted to murder (Ryuji probably) with the stencils themselves... Startled, Ryuji looked down and explained loudly that it was just storming outside.

When he looked away from the ground, he saw that Yusuke was sitting on the floor and most importantly, calm again. Relieved, he kicked at a stray paper on the floor. 

"Hope it clears up before we finish. It'd be crappy to wait it out."

\---

After getting Yusuke's set of brushes out - since bringing some had oddly slipped Ryuji's mind somehow - they each pick a shirt to paint on. 

For contrast against a dark background bright colors will do. It is a bit out of his usual approach to want to try to draw inspiration from graphic tees... that rely on not just words, but presentation to say something? A dual message? Or is it a collaboration? Reporter Ohya's shirt for instance makes a strong statement even if either the words or image is ignored. Admirable.

While organizing his paints, Yusuke notices that Ryuji had already put paint on a brush and was about to start working without preparations. 

What a mistake... 

He makes a quick movement to grab the infractor's wrist before irreversible harm could be done. Flustered, Ryuji yanks away rudely and responds with a chilling glare.

Which Yusuke retaliates with his own.

Which culminates in them staring at each other. 

Which goes on for what seems like ages and without a word until Ryuji looks away nervously. Surprisingly, his aggression seems to give way to confusion as he stares at the floor.

So that was... It is probably best to explain. 

Yusuke threads his fingers and stares at his own shirt - canvas? - in front him.

"Uhh, it is just custom that I lay out all the colors I plan to use beforehand in a certain order before I start a piece. It is in order to ensure neatness and a relaxed atmosphere."

The silence seems to request elaboration. Yusuke fidgets with the hem of the canvas - shirt.

"Well, if we are being candid here, the idea originally comes from the mise en place philosophy - usually seen in cooking. I thought it was quaint and always wanted to make use of it. Uhm obviously."

"Ooh uh okay. Makes sense. Your rules then." Ryuji mutters while shaking his head.

"Especially since this is my residence."

"Riiight." he responds with a rolling of the eyes while motioning for Yusuke to pass him the paper plates.

\---

There was no conversation while they painted which was kinda sorta very slightly unnerving. 

Even worse so since Ryuji managed to finish his shirt first. 

After a while of just messing around with painting over pictures in newspaper articles, he got curious enough to peek at Yusuke's progress. He seemed to be staring at his phone screen intensely, so Ryuji assumed he was finished as well.

His own shirt was just blocks of color and letters from Yusuke's stencils but the guy's shirt was a different story. Masking tape formed letters on the shirt like magic. (What the hell)

He scooted closer to look over Yusuke's shoulder and discovered that he had placed stencils, then masking tape onto the shirt and used the point of a compass to cut the shapes out. Yusuke was a bit of a spacey kid, but admittedly, he was clever. 

So far only half of the letters were painted over. The color seemed to glow against the dark gray of the shirt and get. Bigger?  
Before he realized it, Yusuke had backhanded him with a paintbrush in hand. 

There was enough force to knock him on the ground. So it took a godly effort not to deck the punk in return, and he just lied there and stared at the ceiling. (popcorn, by the way)

"My-my apologies, but please... please refrain from looking at this moment." 

Ryuji took out his cellphone and opened the camera app to check if any paint managed to get on him. (Yep) A cyan mark across the face and some in the hair too. Goddammit.

"I'm just. Gonna." he started as he sat back up and looked towards the bathroom.

"Sorry for the-"

He stood and brushed past Yusuke, not even stopping when a few paint bottles toppled over.

\---

As he waits for his shirt to dry, Yusuke figures that he should focus on finding Ryuji's whereabouts. He had not returned to his place after his trip to the restroom. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Yusuke finds that he was just sitting next to the door of the restroom on his phone.

"Uh. Do you mind if I view the design on you shirt?"

Ryuji draws his knees to his chest and replies, "Yusuke. Do you. Think I care?"

Since that was the case, Yusuke takes the shirt carefully and walks over to sit down beside him. Hopefully, Ryuji would indulge him in the clandestine meaning of what he painted.

"It's like. Ummm. A video game loading screen. But for television? 'Stand By' is like to wait for something. I think." Ryuji explains as he gestures vaguely at the lines of color and the text PLZ STAND BY in red. He does not look up from his phone.

"So essentially. Your shirt is an expression of a moment when a person must wait for something in their lives and has a fond request for someone else to, as it is said, 'stand by' with them?"

Looking as if he were about to make a joke, Ryuji frowns when he turns and sees that Yusuke was completely serious. It is somewhat of an anticlimax when Ryuji admits that he remembered a random image, thought it just looked cool, and that there really wasn't much of a meaning.

"But that's a cute view of it anyway. Or uh 'quaint' like you said. You're always so into deep meanings and shit y'know?"

When he tells him he is free to look at the shirt he made himself, Ryuji asks jokingly if he is sure and tacks on a remark about if he has a hidden paintbrush he could attack with.

He does, but that is most certainly not the main issue here. 

Yusuke opens his phone up to the picture he had taken and hands it over for Ryuji to inspect. Which makes him wince with how horridly candid the latter is. Ryuji mentions that it ' looked cool ' but its text was gibberish to him - Asdgujk; does define how Yusuke felt at the current moment however... Nevertheless, the offhand comment is not from a place of malice but confusion, he recognizes.

"Yes, the text is actually from our conversation from earlier. The key smash that you sent was in the midst of gratefulness, relief, and excitement? An odd combination really - so I tried to recreate it. I thought a visual of sunlight breaking though clouds would suffice." Yusuke explains as he tugs at his shirtsleeves.

It is a while before he is able to even look at Ryuji, but when he does he is met with a convoluted gaze as he is handed back his phone. In all that is honest - he would not mind - maybe even invite it - if the silence just strangles both of them at that moment - killing them instantly - but it is broken.

"Holy crap you really care about this don'tya?" His eyes are wide and in an uncharacteristic volume, he continues, "Look, I dunno what's with your head sometimes... but. But it's not bad. So here-"

It seems like the faintest beginning of an apology as Ryuji leans over and... places the shirt into Yusuke's hands.

Oh.

"It's got more meaning to you than me. Take it," he says with a lopsided smile.

Naturally, he would return the gesture and offer Ryuji Something in return, but that particular Something was currently drying in the center of the room and therefore unreachable.

"For real?! It's waaay too cool though especially-" Ryuji becomes non coherent excitement shortly thereafter - or maybe he himself just got lost in thought.

Did he enunciate those thoughts out loud?

After giving his confirmation that that was what he intended to do, he apologizes for the time that drying would require. Ryuji just responds with a nonchalant shrug. 

Perhaps he does not mind being patient either.

-/-

**Author's Note:**

> +This is like legit the first full fic I consider writing back in August??? It's version 5.0, I proofread like a lot.
> 
> \+ Whenever I try to write romance it ends up being an instantaneous moment in like the longest slowburn fic, gomen 
> 
> +There originally was a text log in the beginning but uh, it's better that I think the action happen soon? Kapow, thanks for reading
> 
> +Lord almighty this is like 1500 words that's like 3 scholarship essays
> 
> \+ It went like:  
> .My shirts?? no I dont make them myself lol  
> How odd. They seem difficult to come by otherwise, judging from the taste.  
> .Ur just not looking in the right places,,, ^^;  
> .But hey  
> .I just had the greatest idea!!!!!  
> .I could really like make my own shirts huh  
> .Just need some old shirts and fabric paint  
> If it truly is as simple as you presume, would you mind me joining your endeavor?  
> .Easy peasy  
> An experimentation in medium could prove to be an augmentation of my artistic arsenal...  
> .Wat???? um  
> .Oh well,,, ah okay I think therell be enough stuff. my place  
> .Oh shit wait my mom juuust cleaned the floors recently can we do ur place. dont wanna be a bother  
> I do not find any issue with that.  
> .Asdgujk; thx man  
> .Lmao ill be over soon  
> Strive to avoid confrontations with law enforcement on your way to Kosei, ok.  
> .dude


End file.
